Is this unhygienic?!

[loislaneloves]

I have an Airbnb on my property. It’s basically a tiny home at the bottom of our large garden with an amazing view. Most people come for the weekend by train and I don’t want people to spend their holiday shopping for stuff like coffee, tea, milk or having to cram suitcases full of toiletries or beach towels so I provide all of those. I also provide a little evening snack (crisps usually) some wine to watch the sun set on the deck with and fruit from the garden and a croissant and jam for breakfast. People love it and I make it quite clear on my ads that these things are provided.
Just got a review from a couple who stayed with us a few days ago. They gave us a good review but took one star off and in her private message to me she said ‘We loved our stay with you but we weren’t very happy that the toiletries are in big shared bottles rather than individual use. This is obviously very unhygienic (we don’t know who has used them!!) so we had to make the trip to buy some for ourselves which was an expense and effort we weren’t expecting’.
To be clear I offer Aesop Shower Gel, Shampoo and Conditioner in the shower and Aesop Hand Wash by the sink in 500ml bottles. They get replaced when empty which is usually about every 10 months
AIBU to think this is not unhygienic?!

This is exactly what you would expect to find anywhere. They were mean.

What's different about the germs on your friends soap dispenser, their whole family, kids and their visitors have compared to the ones at the coffee shop in the next road? 🤔🤔🤔

See I think the hand soap in kitchen is fine as is, but the shower toiletries need to be in a refillable holder like is in hotels. I would consider it unhygienic to just have a free ranging bottle of shower gel in there yes; picture someone showering, picking up the bottle to get more after washing their arse crack with a soapy hand.... it's not nice to think about.

I definitely think in refillable wall fixed bottles with pump tops is fine, but not just free ranging!

She's being ridiculous and probably wanted to steal the minis for home.

devastated is a big feeling for something so small. I am very particular about where I stay and if I were to click on your Airbnb I would read the negative review first and immediately dismiss it as nonsense.

Just seen this after writing my last reply.
In this case, shes being nutty! Your set-up is fine as long as the bottles are clean and pumps are wiped over by the cleaners

What do you mean - Because those small toiletries would be mostly finished and you could bin it.
sorry but I don’t understand this sentence?

I also never said it was about germs. I only said it’s a preference of mine.

By her argument, then the jar of coffee, box of tea bags etc is just as unhygienic.

Completely normal. I'd use them if I'd forgot mine but I prefer my own toiletries, so I bring my own. Can't imagine being an adult and complaining I had to buy my own shampoo.

I know why you use them. But i never use the big bottles. I dont know if some previous guest has opened it and put something inside. I wouldn't drop a star but i also always bring my own because i know i dont trust the big bottles and most places dont give conditioner.

You seem lovely. Keep doing what you are doing.

I'm quite OCD about germs, and even I think this is ridiculous!

The reviewer was U.

If you get some opaque bottles with pumps and decant your shampoo etc into it ( topping up for each guest ) it’ll look nicer and no one will be any the wiser . YANBU

What does she do when using the loo in other people's homes. Most people would have liquid hand wash in their bathrooms. Also does she bring her own shampoo to the hairdresser as they have large dispensers for shampoo and conditioner.
The loos at many cafés and restaurants have bottles of liquid soap for washing hands and how many people does she think have washed their hands in these places

Some people are very irrational or have weird germ phobias - there’s not much you can do about it. Even top end hotels have generally moved away from using small individual bottles.

This is so right. I feel foolish for trying to make the experience nice! If I’d just thought ‘sod omit’ I would have got 5 stars!
I offer a selection of teas and two types of coffee, plunger and an Espresso machine (with full clear instructions). A couple left us a lovely 5 star review but again in the private message they said that they were disappointed that there was no instant coffee as they didn’t like posh coffee.
I went out and bought some and it sat there unused until it went out of date.

I’d be glad that you were considering the environment by not using the hideously wasteful mini bottles. So much plastic.

See my picture. Aesop is in opaque brown bottles already

'expense and effort we weren't expecting'

She's really reaching here.

Sounds like someone desperately looking for any reason to complain or to get money back - some people try it as a matter of course.

It's not unhygienic. It's common practice in most places.

Your extras sound lovely. I can't understand why they didn't pack their own toiletries. They weren't staying at a hotel, so shouldn't have expected individual items, and as has been pointed out, even hotels tend to have big bottles they top up these days.

You're in line with the Hilton so I'd literally ignore that review and keep doing what you're doing.

They sound like the type of person who would have bleached all their shopping during Covid before letting it in their kitchen

I wouldn’t dwell on it OP. Some people are just more particular about things than others and then probably a small fraction of those would think on it enough to drop a star on a review.

To me it is not unhygienic and very common to save in waste. If you use the pump and then wash your hands/hair/body then dry yourself on a clean towel, any germs you might have gotten from initially touching the pump would have been eliminated during washing.

If they’ve said in their review why they’ve not given 5 stars, I don’t think it would stop most people from staying at your Air B&B. Most people will see them as very particular about things and not think much of it

I would put a little card in the room and on the listing explaining it, like they do with the towels in hotels. Something like ‘we are eco concious at Little Stay and provide x brand toiletries in refillable bottles, guests that require individual toiletries for personal or medical reasons are encouraged to bring their own or there is a shop at x where items can be purchased’
that should stop any complaints as it’s obvious before and during their stay why they are provided in that way.

But it's soap... And presumably the bottles are wiped down between each visit.... And the only reason you would touch it is to wash yourself with the SOAP.
So any germs that miraculously lingered and transferred to your already germy hands would be WASHED OFF.

People will bring their own shampoo after having touched it, put ina non-sterile bag, taking it out again probably not having washed their hands (after touching door handles, bags/suitcase handles, shaking hands, handling keys) then put it on a shelf. To then use later.... But that's somehow more hygienic than using a soap dispenser that has been cleaned and not touched in 3 hours 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

honestly... I have no idea how some people cope in real life if the thought of touching something shared makes them freak out because "germs"